Women who suffer from autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis may find relief during pregnancy but their symptoms may become even worse after they give birth.
Increased levels of certain stress hormones during the final trimester of pregnancy may suppress immune system proteins involved in inflammation, a hallmark of autoimmune disorders.
But in the weeks after pregnancy, levels of these hormones fall sharply, resulting in higher levels of inflammatory proteins that may contribute to arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis occurs when the body's immune system attacks the central nervous system and destroys myelin, the protective coating that insulates nerve fibers in the brain and spine.
The destruction of myelin can lead to numbness, muscle weakness and stiffness. In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the lining of the joints, causing pain, stiffness and inflammation. There is no traditional medical cure for either disease.
Levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) were about three times lower in the final trimester of pregnancy compared with levels measured after birth. Similarly, levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were about 40% lower during the third trimester.
IL-12 and TNF-alpha are proteins that trigger the body's immune system to fight disease but are also involved in the swelling and tissue destruction that marks autoimmune disorders.
Meantime, levels of cortisol, norepinephrine and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin were higher in the third trimester compared with levels measured after birth. Previous studies have shown that these hormones can suppress levels of IL-12 and TNF-alpha.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism October 2001;86:4933-4938
Nearly any physician who cares for chronically ill women will note the amazing benefit that pregnancy can have on their underlying illness. However, this is nearly always a roller coaster ride. The improvement they had in their illness is matched by a similar worsening of their illness after they deliver their child.
Medical science has now been able to document the reason. Interleukin-12 and (TNF)-alpha were nearly reduced by half in the third trimester, which appears to be due to the increased levels of cortisol, adrenalin and vitamin D that are elevated during the third trimester.
I am absolutely delighted to have this clear scientific documentation for what I have observed clinically. In the past 12 years I have treated nearly 3,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
It has become increasingly clear to me that there is nearly ALWAYS a stressful event that triggers the rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus or scleroderma. Most of my patients will also readily admit this.
Up until last year I had relied on diet modifications and antibiotics to compensate for the damage to the immune system that allowed these underlying infections to take over and cause such devastating illness.
The approach worked quite well and was successful for about 80% of those that were able to implement the program. However, I was always disappointed that I had to resort to antibiotics to treat the infection. It was one of my last holdouts to traditional modalities, but I had no practical alternative since it worked so well.
However, in the last year I have learned two additional treatments that will likely allow me to help most of my rheumatoid arthritis patients without the antibiotics.
NST is a gentle massage type manual therapy with profound healing benefits, and is extremely beneficial in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
I recommend NST for all of my rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma patients, as it is remarkably effective in reducing pain permanently.
Earlier this year I learned EFT and in the last few months I have been even more impressed with EFT's ability to remove the pain from these diseases. EFT does not work for all pain, but it is particularly effective for pain that has emotional contribution.
Now, please don't misunderstand me. The pain in rheumatoid arthritis is a very real physical pain due to inflammation and destruction of the joint tissue. However, as the above study strongly suggests, there appears to be a profound emotional (stress) contribution to these illnesses, which is why EFT works so well.
I can recall using EFT with a new patient with rheumatoid arthritis who had been taking 60 mg of prednisone for her severe joint pain. She described the pain in her feet as if someone had stuck a butcher knife in them. The absolutely amazing outcome was that after a few minutes of tapping her pain had completely disappeared. It is still hard to believe how effective EFT is for this problem.
I have also used EFT successfully for a fair number of scleroderma patients who were able to have their stiffness dramatically improved.